“Using Tiejin silk is appropriate. No... I need to adjust the temperature and humidity during the reeling process to make the silk slightly firmer.” The young woman muttered to herself while sketching various bag designs she had in mind. Satisfied with her work, she showed them to Baihu as if it were an expert in women’s fashion. “Baihu, do you think these designs are beautiful? This one is suitable for a cheerful and sweet lady, while this one is perfect for a calm and composed wife. And this one is for a hot woman.” “Are they good, Baihu? Please help me look. This color is nice” “A’Zhu! I don’t know.” Baihu was very annoyed. She had been asking it since the morning. I told you I don’t know. Although it was a semi-divine creature, it didn’t know everything. It could answer other questions, but not this. “Baihu, you’re utterly useless. All you do is eat and sleep. You should help me earn some money. Where will I get the money to buy meat for you if I don’t work?! Be useful for once.” As expected, if it said it didn’t know, she would say this. Baihu was fed up. Under more pressure, Baihu leaped over the wall and disappeared. It heard her yelling behind, but it didn’t turn back. So tired of it! For the last few days, Zhenzhu had been engrossed in producing the new product. Tiejin silk cocoons sent from Fengfu City were reeled in the capital. She created a new reeling room to produce silk suitable for making bags. After several hectic days, she finally produced the desired Tiejin silk. “A’Zhu, this silk is so stiff. How can you make clothes out of it? It will scratch the skin.” Li Si who came to oversee the weaving factory said upon seeing the newly weaved silk of her friend. The silk was incredibly firm. Just look, although its colors were beautiful and unique, so much so that she couldn’t look away, if made into clothes, it would undoubtedly severely scratch her skin. “Who said I would make clothes from it?” “Not making clothes? Then what will A’Zhu make with it?” She knew it, how could A’Zhu produce anything of poor quality? "Let me finish this, and I’ll show you," the young woman said before gathering several bolts of fabric and returning to her home. For several days after, Lady He wasn’t seen outside her home as she was busy creating her new product, which caused her to not send a single letter to ask about Yong Saiweihao’s well-being. Eventually, the young general couldn’t bear it and rode back to the capital after less than a month of returning to work. Li Si was quite surprised by this. Her big brother, once at the military camp, usually wouldn’t return to the capital for at least three months. This time, he came back in less than a month. It seemed likely that Zhenzhu would indeed be her future sister-in-law. "Big Brother, did you miss me so much that you came back to see me?" The little sister leaped to block the door to Zhenzhu’s manor, spreading her arms wide to hug her older brother. She wanted to annoy him. Her head was gently knocked by the older brother. Knowing he came back for Zhenzhu, she decided to annoy him . "Big Brother, don’t you love me anymore? You see me and immediately hit me. I’m so hurt," she pretended to cry but her eyes sparkled. She ran towards Zhenzhu, who was inscribing a character on the first bag in her manor. "A’Zhu, Big Brother hit me!" As soon as the friend arrived, the last stroke was finished. "Hmm? Brother Hao!" Once she looked up, she saw Li Si running in with the stoic man following. She realized she hadn’t contacted him for the past month, being so busy making the bags that she forgot to do so. "You remember me?" Yong Saiweihao’s face remained expressionless, but his eyes were filled with longing. The meaning in his words sounded like a wife feeling mistreated by her husband for not coming home. "How could I forget? I’ve missed you terribly." "Little liar," the young general lightly knocked her head and then pulled her into a hug. "Not hugging your sister but embracing a beauty instead!" Li Si shouted. "Come here," Yong Saiweihao released Zhenzhu and gave his sister a hug before knocking her head lightly again with affection. Seeing them , he felt more at ease. He glanced at the item in Zhenzhu’s hands. Is this what made her lose contact with him for almost a month? "A’Zhu, is this the new product you were talking about for the shop?" Li Si asked. "Yes, it’s a handbag. Is it beautiful?" This was what she had been working on all month. Zhenzhu held up a medium-sized handbag made from a special type of Tiejin silk that she had adjusted the humidity and temperature during the silk reeling process to make it suitable for the bag to hold its shape. The bag was rectangular, with a button closure and braided strap. It was embroidered with the small symbols of the Fu Zhenzhu Shop, creating a unique pattern for this era. Additionally, she had added handles that could be held or slung over the arm. "It’s pretty, but... it’s a bit unusual," Li Si said softly, worried she might hurt her friend’s feelings about her hard work. Zhenzhu smiled at the first critique, not surprised. Such bags were new and strange to Li Si, who grew up with traditional fashion and customs. But with an open mind, this item could break conventional beauty standards, being different. "Here, let me show you how to use it," Zhenzhu said, before putting taels, a handkerchief, and other essential items for a lady into the bag. She then pretended to walk around, pay a vendor, and take items out of the bag to demonstrate its usefulness and unique beauty to her friend. "It looks really good. If I carry it while shopping, people will definitely be interested," Li Si clapped her hands with satisfaction. Although it initially seemed unusual, seeing her friend carry it so naturally and effortlessly made it oddly captivating. "Great! I’ll use it when I go shopping. A’Zhu, can I have it?!" "Of course, it’s yours. If anyone is interested or asks about it, just tell them it’s a new product from Fu Zhenzhu Shop, not yet for sale, but they can come and see the sample at our shop," Zhenzhu said. With someone like Lady Zhao Li Si promoting her product, she need not worry about it not selling. All her products were of high quality. She intended to inscribe Enduring Character, Dimensional Character, and Preservation Character on each bag to enhance its value. Moreover, it would increase the products’ quality, so she could sell them at a high price without the buyers feeling it was not worth it. "Sure, I’ll do as A’Zhu say. You’re so talented, A’Zhu. What price should we set for this?" The shop manager who earned her profit from sales immediately asked, even before the product was available. "Ten thousand taels.” "Whoa! A’Zhu, why so expensive?!" Li Si exclaimed, shocked. Zhenzhu smiled. "We’re not just selling this bag; we’re selling the prestige and desire it represents," Zhenzhu said. She had many products that sold for low prices, such as vegetables, fruits, crude oil, and other items she made that could benefit the buyers greatly. But for Fu Zhenzhu Shop, she aimed to establish a reputation so she could sell high-priced, top-quality goods. If they didn’t sell, so be it. She wouldn’t lower the price to sell them; instead, the prices would only increase. "Will it sell, A’Zhu?" Although Zhenzhu’s clothes sold well, they weren’t priced as high as this. Ten thousand taels could buy a nice house and land. "It doesn’t matter if it doesn’t sell. We won’t lose money.” "Alright then. I’ll use it every day and take it to events. How about that?" In their social hierarchy, events were indispensable. Though she disliked attending, as Lady Zhao, she received countless invitations to an elder birthday party, tea gatherings, and talent shows of the ladies. She would carry A’Zhu’s bag to every event in hopes that other ladies would be interested. Though Li Si was unsure if it would sell, she agreed since A’Zhu was insisting to do so. "Well, I’m off to buy some things now. I’m leaving, A’Zhu," Li Si said. She initially planned to invite A’Zhu to shop for some supplies for the store but decided to let the young man and woman have some time together since her big brother had come from the military camp. After Li Si left, Zhenzhu turned to the only man in the room. His skin had darkened slightly since she last saw him a month ago. "Brother Hao, are you tired?" He must have traveled all this way without rest. "I’m not tired. Come here," the young man pulled her into another embrace. The young woman didn’t resist, obediently resting her head comfortably on his chest. If her mother saw her being this close to a man, she’d surely get a pinch, but Zhenzhu wasn’t a lady of this era. She was quite open-minded about such matters. "How about coming to the military camp with me?" It had only been a short period of being away from each other, yet he could no longer stand lying on the bed while missing the woman. "Brother Hao, I have work to do." "You don’t need to work. I’ll take care of you." "Noooo," she rubbed her cheek against his strong chest, acting cute. "Brother Hao, I’m currently hiring workers to build a coffee shop. In a few months, the coffee plants will be ready to harvest. I’ll make some drinks for you to try." Thanks to the spiritual energized water she provided, the coffee plants grew quickly. Moreover, she had also inscribed time-based character on some planting areas, helping the tiny coffee plants grow swiftly and healthily. Soon, a new kind of drink would be available for the people of Yan to enjoy. "Alright," the young general gently stroked her long, silky hair. Well, he’d let her do whatever made her happy. These past few days, the ladies of prominent families and wealthy families in the capital had been quite intrigued and fascinated by something. The thing was Lady Zhao Lisi, the daughter of General Zhao. Every day, the number one lady of the capital would go shopping several times a day. While that was odd enough, what was even more odd was the item she always carried on her arm. So strange. This small item could hold many things. When she paid for something, Lady Li Si didn’t have to turn to her servant for money but could immediately take out taels herself. At first, they just observed because it was unusual, but over time, they realized it looked nice and enhanced the elegance of her attire. When they secretly took a closer look, they saw the item Lady Li Si carried had the symbol of the Fu Zhenzhu Shop. The symbol was woven in small patterns all over the bag, making the ladies even more interested. One day, there was a banquet at Lady Guilan’s manor. Surprisingly, Lady Guilan had the same item as Lady Li Si. Seeing this, the ladies couldn’t wait any longer and started inquiring if the item was available at the Fu Zhenzhu Shop and how much it cost. When they learned that the bag Lady Li Si carried cost a whopping 10,000 taels, they did not give up, instead, their desire to own one only grew. Such an expensive item, if they could own it, no other ladies could look down on them.  The source of this content ɪs 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵⟡𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮⟡𝓷𝓮𝓽 Their thoughts were confirmed when, several days later, a relatively unknown lady managed to buy the bag. She was merely the daughter of a concubine, her father was just a seventh-rank noble, but fortunately, her mother was a daughter of a wealthy merchant, so she was able to spend the money comfortably. Owning the coveted bag from Fu Zhenzhu Shop brought her attention from the daughters of prominent family, because the bag was not only costly but also scarce. The majority of the ladies who inquired about the bag were met with disappointment. Some of these ladies didn’t receive a large monthly allowance, but they saved diligently, hoping for a chance to purchase such a valuable bag in the future. Who wouldn’t want to stand out? When they caught others’ attention, they had more opportunities to showcase their talents at various banquets. Being prominent like that, how could men not take notice? The first lady to purchase a bag became the center of attention and had more opportunities to show her abilities, eventually becoming engaged to a distinguished young master from a military family. Thus, it wasn’t just about buying an item; it was about purchasing a platform to showcase oneself and sow seeds of envy in others’ hearts. After successfully selling to the ladies, Zhenzhu then designed new bags more suitable for older women, specifically targeting the titled wives. The competitive society wasn’t exclusive to young women; older women weren’t exempt either. It is in the nature of women, when they see others standing out, they cannot simply accept it. They must push themselves to rise even higher. As a result, over the past four months, many customers visited the Fu Zhenzhu Shop to inquire about the bags, not just from the capital but also ladies from other cities. However, Zhenzhu didn’t mass-produce the bags, instead, she kept the supply limited to maintain their desirability. With increasing popularity came imitation products. However, these imitations were not alike and much inferior in quality. Zhenzhu could only sigh. Counterfeit goods existed in every era, but let it be, her products weren’t easily replicated. The silk alone was different, and the intricate patterns were extremely hard to copy. Moreover, those counterfeits did not have various kinds of character inscribed on the goods like hers. Thus, it was easy to distinguish the genuine from the fake even if they looked similar. "It’s so infuriating. That sewing shop around the corner is copying our bags again, and their craftsmanship is terrible," Li Si fumed as she plopped down on a chair in the upper-floor lounge of the Fu Zhenzhu Shop. Look at this, she and Zhenzhu worked hard to make their products this famous, only for those people to take advantage and sell counterfeits. Zhenzhu put down the brush she was using and looked up before sighing deeply. "It’s okay. Our products are of higher quality, and those imitations aren’t exact copies. Our customers are from the upper class; they can tell the difference and wouldn’t buy imitations to avoid being laughed at." However, if too many counterfeits flooded the market, it could make her products seem commonplace. But what could be done when there were no laws against imitations in this era? "You’re right, A’Zhu." Since they were talking about this, Li Si felt an urge to share a story. "At the flower-viewing party the other day, a lady brought an imitation bag from a market sewing shop. Do you know what happened? When others saw it, they laughed at her so much, realizing it was a fake. She was so embarrassed that she ran out of the party in tears." “Mmm, I suppose I need to make products that are much harder to imitate.” “Yes! I’ll help you.” “Thanks, Li Si, you’re getting really good at this,” Zhenzhu praised her friend. “I... I just want to help you.” Li Si smiled shyly. Since she started working on the tasks Zhenzhu assigned and earning an income, the young woman had felt a greater sense of self-worth. She realized that she could do much more than just be a lady whose sole purpose was to please men and marry off meaninglessly. “What are you doing?” Li Si noticed that Zhenzhu had been writing something on a piece of paper with quite messy handwriting for a long while. “To whom? Big Brother?” Sigh, people in love were so tiresome. “Mmm, I’m writing to Brother Hao and also to Father and Mother.” She planned to launch a new product soon, coffee, so she needed to inform them in case they could come to visit her coffee shop. “Oh.” Li Si responded, then sipped the tea that a servant had brought. “A’Si, I have a new drink for you to try. Interested?” Zhenzhu asked when she saw Li Si sipping tea. “Hmm? What drink? Is it the coffee you mentioned?” She knew Zhenzhu was cultivating a type of fruit that could be made into a drink. She often visited the coffee plantation her friend spoke of. Li Si furrowed her brows. Wasn’t A’Zhu’s coffee plant not ready to yield produce yet? How did she get coffee? “Is the coffee you planted ready for harvest?” “Not yet, but the coffee I have is from another source, from the village where I bought the seeds.” Recently, she had sent someone to buy coffee beans from the goat keeper boy, getting a small quantity. Though not much, it was enough to produce some coffee for people to taste. Zhenzhu intended to offer coffee to customers who came to Fu Zhenzhu Shop first. Since her shop limited the number of customers per day, there were not too many people. She could offer coffee for them to try before her coffee shop opened in a few months. “Oh, that’s great. Let me try it, A’Zhu.” She was always the first to try A’Zhu’s new products. “It’s not yet roasted and ground. I’ll prepare it later, and you can try it tomorrow.” The coffee she had was dried but not yet hulled, roasted, and ground. “Oh, then let’s go. I’ll help A’Zhu prepare it.” “Okay.” Zhenzhu finished writing her letter before taking Li Si to the coffee drying yard at her manor. Read ‘Rebirth: This Farmgirl Has Spirit Fish Scales’ before anyone else with more Chapters at https://www.jinovel.com/en